Valoración del estado nutricional de los niños y adolescentes huerfános del Hogar Inés Chambers utilizando criterios antropométricos y análisis bioquímicos.

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the nutritional status of orphaned children and adolescents in a health center in the city of Guayaquil. Patients and methods: non-experimental quantitative study. Sixty five orphaned children and adolescents were recruited between 3 and 16 years of age, nutritional assessment was carried out using anthropometric indicators, and biochemical analyzes. Results: the anthropometric evaluation showed that the prevalence of malnutrition was higher in the group of males versus females (9.5% versus 4.5%). The overall prevalence of overweight and obesity in the sample studied was 7.7%. The group of women has a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity than the group of men. In the biochemical parameters, the majority of the sample studied (90.8%) presented the normal hematocrit level, while the (9.2%) presented a low level. Hemoglobin 64.6% was in normal conditions while 33.8% was low and 1.5% had high values. Serum iron 96.9% in normal state while 3.1% was in low level, albumin levels were normal with 100% in its entirety. Conclusions: The anthropometric evaluation showed that malnutriton was more prevalent in the group of males, the group of women has a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity. No orphan reported that the biochemical values of albumin were altered.